English translation — י"ב-י"ג תמוז ב

Sicha in<pg>145</pg>

A.

Regarding the day of Yud-Beis Tammuz — the day on which the Rebbe, my father-in-law, was redeemed from his imprisonment<sup>1</sup>

Who was imprisoned because of "the great work" which he worked "in spreading Torah and strengthening religion"<sup>2</sup>

— wrote the Rebbe, my father-in-law,

In his letter to the first celebration of Yud-Beis Tammuz

(In the year 5688)<sup>3</sup>,

And these are his words: "It is fitting to establish it as a day of gathering and awakening for strengthening Torah and Judaism in every place according to its matter."

It has been explained several times,

that all words of our Rabbis, our leaders, are precise,

even regarding "sichos" and even regarding their mundane conversations — that they require study⁴,

and all the more so and certainly so it is regarding the words of their Torah,

and with even greater emphasis including — their directives

(Torah from the term hora'ah [directive]).

And in our matter — one must be precise in the language of His Holiness, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, mentioned above, "strengthening of Torah and Judaism."

For at first glance,

"Judaism" is a general term,

including everything related to the religion of Israel — both the study of Torah and the guarding and fulfillment of the commandments

(of the Torah,

of the Rabbis,

even to the customs of Israel etc.),

and if so, it would have been sufficient to say "strengthening of Judaism" — and what does it teach us with "

(strengthening)

of the Torah"?

Simply, the intention in this is to emphasize the matter and actions of "strengthening the Torah",

as he writes several times in his aforementioned letter regarding his work in "disseminating Torah"

(and the intention is simple — establishing schools,

yeshivas and Torah classes in public

(for businessmen)

etc.)

— but he should have

(seemingly)

preceded everything and the general principle,

"Judaism",

and then add the emphasis on the particular,

"Torah".

Also, one must precisely analyze and explain his wording "strengthening the Torah",

and not his wording several times in his letter there "disseminating Torah".

And it appears to say,

that one of the intentions of His Holy Honor, my master, father-in-law, the Rebbe here is — not to arouse two different matters — strengthening in the work of spreading Torah and strengthening in the work of strengthening Judaism

(observance and fulfillment of commandments etc.)

— but rather the intention is one matter — "strengthening Judaism"; except that it is impossible to strengthen Judaism in the desired manner except by means of preceding and beginning the strengthening of Torah.

2.

Explanation of the matter:

The concept "Judaism" in its simple sense means the totality of Jewish conduct as Jews.

And therefore it is necessary to emphasize and establish,

that "Judaism" is not only the conduct of human beings,

the way that the children of Israel conducted themselves throughout the generations,

the work of human hands, heaven forbid — but rather its entirety and essence is the fulfillment of the instructions of the Torah that was given at Sinai from the mouth of the Almighty.

And this is the content of the emphasis "strengthening Torah and Judaism",

that before strengthening Judaism it is necessary to strengthen the faith and recognition that only the Torah determines what is "Judaism"⁵,

and it is not<pg>146</pg>

Delivered to human beings,

that with their intellect they will decide that certain specific matters in Judaism are an obligation,

as opposed to other matters — but rather every single detail in the Torah,

up to a novel insight of a veteran student,

and even customs of Israel that were innovated in the later generations

(and were accepted in most of the communities of Israel⁶)

— they are part of our holy Torah,

which is the Torah of G-d,

Torah from heaven,

that was given to Moses at Sinai⁷

(for even a custom of Israel — is Torah⁸).

And from this it is understood,

that one who is lenient regarding the stringencies and customs of Israel that were established and instituted in the later generations,

thinking that they are "the work of human beings",

and therefore he is not obligated to accept them upon himself — behold, his opposition is not regarding some particular matters of "Judaism" and he is lacking a few deeds,

but rather this is in actual opposition to the fundamentals of Judaism,

which in its entirety is not the work of human beings,

but rather every single detail in it is a religion that G-d revealed through His servants — the sages of Israel in every single generation⁹.

[And not only that,

but that this "method" — to distinguish between matters of the Oral Torah that are founded on the Written Torah

(namely,

the matters that the Sages learned through the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded)

or that they are a law to Moses from Sinai,

from "the decrees and enactments and customs"¹⁰

that were innovated by the Sages of Israel¹¹

in every generation — it is an opening¹²

to heresy, may G‑d forbid, regarding the principle that the Oral Torah is entirely from heaven¹³].

3.

And it may be said,

that the need for this emphasis,

"strengthening the Torah" before strengthening Judaism,

is because of the continuation of the matter in this instruction — "

(strengthening the Torah and Judaism)

in every place according to its context":

If strengthening of Torah and Judaism were only in "a city full of sages" and the like — there would be no need for the above emphasis,

for it is obvious to each and every one that the entire essence of Judaism is its being the Torah of G-d; but since the discussion is about strengthening Judaism "in every place according to its circumstance",

there is a need to negate an error,

that Judaism was given to change, G-d forbid and G-d forbid, according to the conditions of time and place.

And furthermore,

there is a "place" whose people are very distant from Judaism and it is impossible to influence them to accept upon themselves the yoke of keeping the entire Torah in all its details,

in a way that the "circumstance" of this "place" requires to suffice

(for the time being)

with effort so that they will keep

(only)

some commandments

(and the like).

And therefore,

when engaging in strengthening Judaism "in every place according to its circumstance",

one must always remember

(the introduction)

that before strengthening Judaism comes "strengthening of Torah",

that "Judaism"&lt;pg&gt;147&lt;/pg&gt;

is determined and built solely on strengthening the foundation of the Torah,

which was not given to be changed due to changes of time and place.

And as we have explained several times in the explanation of the precise wording of the Mishnah¹⁴

"Be of the disciples of Aaron etc. loving the creatures and bringing them close to the Torah" — that one must bring the creatures close to the Torah,

and not the opposite,

to "bring close" and lower the Torah, heaven forbid, to the creatures,

by means of concessions, heaven forbid, and compromises and deficiencies in the laws of the Torah — even if it seems that perhaps this compromise specifically will help

(in his opinion)

to bring the other close to Torah and His commandments,

at least for the fulfillment of the commandment of unity; because,

as above,

our holy Torah is a Torah of truth,

and was not given to compromises,

and each and every one of Israel,

without regard to his situation and place,

his obligation is to accept the entire Torah entirely to observe and fulfill it entirely.

And this does not contradict that the effort in strengthening Judaism is,

as it is explained,

"in every place and every locale according to its matter",

and even that sometimes the effort must be in a gradual manner — and even one who is in the category of a captive infant among the nations,

should begin with the observance of one commandment and the like

(as above)

— for the meaning of these things is not that one makes compromises in Torah and Judaism,

but rather in the manner that we find regarding the study of Torah,

that with a child one begins with the study of the alphabet,

and afterwards he goes from strength to strength: the study of a combination of several letters,

several words, until he merits to study the entire Torah; and it is simple,

that the study of the alphabet with a child is not a "compromise" at all,

and there is in this any concession or diminution whatsoever,

but rather this is the order of study,

from the beginning to the continuation etc. specifically;

And so it is regarding the observance of the commandments,

"strengthening Judaism" — that when one deals with a "child"

(spiritually),

who has no knowledge whatsoever of matters of Judaism,

one must first of all teach him the alphabet of "Judaism"; but immediately at this beginning the "child" knows that the alphabet

(with which he began)

is not the entire Torah,

but rather that in his current state

(that he is a "child" etc.)

he begins with the observance of one commandment,

and over the course of time he will go from strength to strength,

and "one commandment draws another commandment"¹⁵.

4.

And this is the instruction in practice,

that should serve as the foundation for the farbrengens of the celebration of the Festival of Redemption of 12 Tammuz — that the involvement in strengthening Judaism must be based on these two principles,

and in the two extremes:

The first principle is — "strengthening Torah and Judaism",

namely the pure faith that every matter of Judaism is determined solely by the Torah which is from heaven

(and is not at all a work of human beings, G‑d forbid and may it not be said),

and consequently there cannot be in this a compromise,

a concession or a deficiency in Torah and its commandments,

for just as "I, the L-rd, have not changed"¹⁶,

so too change is not applicable in "Judaism" which is the word of the L-rd.

And together with this one must endeavor in strengthening Judaism "in every place according to its nature,"

for even though the discussion is about a "place" that is distant for now from Judaism and all the more so from the observance of the entire Torah,

and the endeavor there is "according to its nature"

(as above at length)

— but together with this truly,

and specifically out of truth they take and conquer

(they take)

the person —

It is forbidden for a person to stand from afar

[like those who say,

that only with G-d-fearing and complete Jews should one engage in order to strengthen their hands&lt;pg&gt;148&lt;/pg&gt;

in the observance of Torah and His commandments,

but not with those who are lacking in this and all the more so — those who are distant from the Torah of G-d and His service],

but is obligated to exert himself with all his strength to bring them close to Torah and His commandments,

as the instruction of the Baal Shem Tov¹⁷

regarding the greatness of the matter of the mitzvah of loving a Jew for each and every Jew of Israel,

also for one "who has never seen him",

and as explained elsewhere¹⁸

that the intention in this is also in the spiritual aspects of matters,

that even a Jew who is distant from Judaism until seemingly he has no connection with him in Judaism,

behold also him one must love to the extent of exerting oneself to bring him close to Torah and Judaism — the most precious things in the entire world;

and as explained in the Tanya¹⁹,

that "one who is not his friend

(in Torah and commandments)

and is not close to him",

it is forbidden to hate him, heaven forbid

(even if he saw that he sinned),

rather "about this Hillel the Elder said¹⁴

be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace etc. loving the creatures and bringing them close to Torah,

to say..

one must draw them with cords of love and perhaps he will be able to bring them close to Torah and the service of G-d".

And through the effort in love of Israel,

to each and every one of Israel literally,

they merit the blessing of G‑d,

that "Bless us, our Father"

(as)

all of us as one"²⁰

specifically,

until the essential and inner blessing — the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From the sicha of 13 Tammuz 5729)